Korean 'While' and 'During': Expressing Simultaneous Events with -(으)면서 and -는 동안
Learn to say what was happening at the same time as something else in Korean using -(으)면서 and -는 동안, with clear elementary-level examples and a short dialogue.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Korean expresses simultaneity in two main ways. The ending -(으)면서 attaches to a verb stem and means that the same person does two actions at once, as in 'I listen to music while studying.' The noun pattern -는 동안 means 'during the time that...' and is used when one event happens inside the time span of another, often with different subjects, as in 'While I was cooking, the phone rang.' This lesson teaches both patterns at elementary level, shows how they differ from simple sequencing with -고, and gives you phrases you can use right away.
By the end, you can…
- use -(으)면서 to say one person does two actions at the same time.
- use -는 동안 to say one event happened during another event.
- tell simultaneity apart from simple sequencing with -고.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
저는 음악을 들으면서 공부해요.
I study while listening to music.
jeo-neun eumageul deureumyeonseo gongbuhaeyo
Same subject does both actions at once; the second verb carries the tense.
밥을 먹으면서 이야기해요.
We talk while eating.
babeul meogeumyeonseo iyagihaeyo
Everyday use of -(으)면서 with two habitual actions.
제가 요리하는 동안 전화가 울렸어요.
While I was cooking, the phone rang.
jega yorihaneun dong-an jeonhwaga ullyeosseoyo
Different subjects: I cook, the phone rings. Tense goes on the final verb.
동안에 뭐 했어요?
What did you do during that time?
dong-ane mwo haesseoyo?
동안 can stand alone as a noun meaning 'a period of time'.
텔레비전을 보면서 숙제를 하지 마세요.
Don't do homework while watching TV.
tellebijeoneul bomyeonseo sukjereul haji maseyo
-(으)면서 also works in negative commands and requests.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Attach -(으)면서 to a verb stem: stems ending in a vowel take -면서 (보다 → 보면서), and stems ending in a consonant take -으면서 (먹다 → 먹으면서). The subject must be the same for both verbs, and only the final verb is conjugated for tense and politeness: 저는 커피를 마시면서 신문을 읽어요. For 'during,' use verb stem + -는 동안: 제가 자는 동안 비가 왔어요. Here the subjects can differ, and tense appears on the main clause verb.
When to use it
Choose -(으)면서 when one person performs two actions simultaneously and you want to present them as one combined activity: 샤워하면서 노래해요. Choose -는 동안 when an event happens within another event's time span, especially with two different subjects: 친구가 전화하는 동안 저는 운전했어요. Do not use -고 for simultaneity; -고 lists actions in sequence, as in 밥을 먹고 잤어요 ('I ate and then slept'). If the actions clearly overlap, use -(으)면서 or -는 동안.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어제 뭐 했어요?
What did you do yesterday?eoje mwo haesseoyo?요리하는 동안 전화가 울렸어요.
While I was cooking, the phone rang.yorihaneun dong-an jeonhwaga ullyeosseoyo그래서 받았어요?
So did you answer it?geuraeseo badasseoyo?네, 음악을 들으면서 통화했어요.
Yes, I talked on the phone while listening to music.ne, eumageul deureumyeonseo tonghwahaesseoyoA little context goes a long way
Korean often prefers -는 동안 for narrative background and -(으)면서 for describing a single person's overlapping habits. In polite conversation, keep the same speech level across both clauses; mixing 해요 and 해체 sounds inconsistent. The standalone noun 동안 is common in time expressions like 한 시간 동안 ('for one hour'), so learn it as a noun as well as a pattern.
One thing to watch for
Using -고 for simultaneous actions: 음악을 듣고 공부해요 to mean 'I study while listening to music.'
Try this instead: -고 sequences actions, so that sentence means 'I listen to music and then study.' For simultaneity, say 음악을 들으면서 공부해요. If subjects differ, use -는 동안: 제가 공부하는 동안 동생이 음악을 들었어요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'I watch TV while eating dinner.'
Show a sample answer
저는 저녁을 먹으면서 텔레비전을 봐요.
Same subject and simultaneous actions call for -(으)면서. 먹다 has a consonant stem, so it takes -으면서. Other word orders are fine as long as the ending stays attached to the first verb.
2Translate: 'While my mother was sleeping, I studied.'
Show a sample answer
어머니가 주무시는 동안 제가 공부했어요.
Different subjects require -는 동안. The honorific 주무시다 is appropriate for one's mother; 공부했어요 carries the past tense.
3Which is correct for 'I listen to music and then sleep'? (a) 음악을 들으면서 자요 (b) 음악을 듣고 자요
Show a sample answer
(b) 음악을 듣고 자요
The actions happen in order, not at the same time, so -고 is correct. Option (a) would mean the person listens to music and sleeps simultaneously.
Use -(으)면서 for one person doing two things at once, and -는 동안 for an event happening during another event's time span; reserve -고 for sequences.
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